And His Mother's Name Was ...

Today's reading from the 2014 edition of the Choice Gleanings calendar, a daybook our family has read each morning for years, reminded me anew how much influence our mothers have on us:

In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem, and his mother’s name was Zibiah. And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his days, in which Jehoiada, the priest, instructed him. 

2 Kings 12:1-2

The little phrase “and his mother’s name was,” appears 23 times in the Old Testament. The significance seems to be the influence each mother had on her son. With the help of the priest of the Lord, Zibiah's son was properly instructed and he was enabled to carry out his responsibilities with God’s approval. A godly mother is a treasure and one for whom Mother’s Day should be celebrated!     —David McCulloch

I live in a world where men feature prominently these days, and I see firsthand the impact their mothers have had on their lives.

Just a couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of meeting my friend Derek's mom, Diana. This lovely lady, who until her recent retirement held positions of responsibility in the corporate world, nonetheless has ensured that her priority is her home and her son. I watched the easy interaction between the two of them, the way she could anticipate his words and actions, the way he would step in to help her in little ways around the kitchen table where we sat.

I've also seen the impact that the loss of a mother can mean. I remember a man close to me remarking that exactly one week after his mother passed away he "could feel the loss of her prayers."

I've never been privileged to have a child of my own; but I have had the privilege of working closely with numbers of young people over the years, particularly in the Tea House. This reading gave me pause. We women, do we consciously take the time to realise the importance our sway is in the lives of the impressionable children God has given us? Some of the 23 mothers listed in the Old Testament were not wise in their dealings with their children, causing detriment to the child as well as domino-like calamity to people and situations around that child.

Here, off the top of my head, is a list of 23 names of mothers who influence sons who have an impact in my life in some way. I'll start with Derek's:

• And his mother's name was Diana Cleland
• And his mother's name was Ruth Ironside
• And his mother's name was Brenda Spilsbury
• And his mother's name was Zeba Husain
• And his mother's name was BA Ironside
• And their mother's name was Angela Ironside
• And their mother's name was Bronwyn Spilsbury
• And his mother's name was Irene Walsh
• And his mother's name was Katherine Creasser
• And his mother's name was Darlene Johnson
• And his mother's name was Alice Tateson
• And his mother's name was Debbie Tateson
• And his mother's name was Muriel Kirk
• And his mother's name was Marion Warnock
• And his mother's name was Jeanne Carlzon
• And his mother's name was Eileen King
• And his mother's name was Margaret Kremer
• And his mother's name was Thankamma Cherian
• And their mother's name was Salome Cherian
• And his mother's name was Evelyn Ironside
• And their mother's name was Merah Chelli
• And their mother's name was Jacqueline Benavides
• And his mother's name was Patricia O'Halloran Ironside 

You are your mothers' sons. And I am so thankful for each of them.